What Was the Thinking Behind Jaguars' Doomed Play-Call vs. Eagles?

Why exactly did the Jaguars go with a fade route to their third-string running back in Sunday's game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles?

Nov 3, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (17) intercepts the ball past Jacksonville Jaguars running back D'Ernest Johnson (2) late in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

With roughly 1:40 left in Sunday's 28-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to record one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 season.

After the Jaguars battled back from a 22-0 deficit thanks to a defensive score and two rushing touchdowns from Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville had the ball on the Eagles' 13-yard line and were facing 1st-and-10.

The Jaguars were then faced with the obvious question: go for the end zone or continue to pick up yards and kill the clock.

“Yeah, with the time left, we had talked about it on the sideline to kind of slow the pace there at the end, you know, and it’s just something you have to try to do, right? If you can stay in bounds, you stay in bounds," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game.

"Or if it’s incomplete, you play another down, whatever it is. But the bottom line is we still needed to score and I felt good with the way our defense had played, they would give us a shot."

The Jaguars opted to take their shot, and it came in the form of a pass to third-string running back D'Ernest Johnson. Johnson was matched up with Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean and saw himself on the receiving end of a game-sealing interception in the back of the end zone from Trevor Lawrence.

“Yeah, he’s the first read. Great play by [Eagles LB Nakobe Dean]," Pederson said.

"I mean, you have a minute and 40 something left on the clock. I think it was first down, something like that. It’s still part of our red zone game plan. It wasn’t like we were forcing a throw into the end zone. I’m saying it was part of our red zone game plan. So great play by [Eagles LB Nakobe Dean].”

No Evan Engram, no Brian Thomas Jr. -- it was Johnson who the Jaguars turned to on the biggest play of the game. And it was the same play Pederson and Trevor Lawrence expected to run the whole time.

“Yeah, they were doing a nice job of mixing it up on defense. But, you know, [we] kind of started to get some more man towards the end there. We hit some big plays. Just the one when we hit [Jaguars WR Austin Trammell], took advantage of that and got down there," Lawrence said.

"And then, you know, we kind of, it was a play [based] off of what we did earlier, and we did some stuff with the running back and some option routes, and we tried to go over the top. And just have to give credit to [Eagles LB Nakobe Dean] – did a great job. [Eagles LB] Nakobe [Dean] did a great job making that play. And it’s just tough when it finishes that way. You know, when I threw it, I thought we’d have a shot, left it a touch inside, and [Dean] got his eyes back. You know, a lot of times those linebackers don’t get their eyes back and play the ball, and I thought we’d be able to go up and get it. And he did – he did a great job. Made a great play.”

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